There is no upper age restriction but badges will not be issued to children under the age of 2 years. This is because regulations state that they can easily be carried in a pushchair or pram. However, those children under the age of 3 years who need to be accompanied by bulky medical equipment, or who have an unstable medical condition that means they must always be kept near a motor vehicle that either holds medical treatment or allows them to be taken to a place where they can receive treatment, are eligible for a badge.

Disability

The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions guidelines for the Blue Badge Scheme state that you automatically qualify for a badge if:

You receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
You receive a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
You use a motor vehicle supplied for disabled people by a Government Health Department
You are registered as totally blind
You have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn the steering wheel of a motor vehicle by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob
You have been awarded a benefit (giving rise to entitlement to a lump sum at tariffs 1 - 8 inclusive) under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and assessed and certified by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

In addition to these automatic qualification criteria, the County Council is able to apply discretionary criteria.

Applicants may qualify under the discretionary criteria if you have a permanent and substantial disability, which means you are unable to walk, or have very considerable difficulty in walking.